Blonde Lowlights: 4 Tips For Adding Internal Depth

4 Placement Tips For Lowlighting Lived-In Blondes 

Is your high-maintenance blonde ready to transition to a low-maintenance look? Keep reading! To help you prepare for this HUGE client request in 2023, we’ve gathered three lowlight placement tips to help you create dimensional, lived-in blondes with rich, internal depth—plus, all the formulas you need.

1. Use this smart foil placement to create depth at the crown:

Reverse balayage is the perfect way to introduce depth into blondes who are ready to dip into something a little more lived-in. Keep scrolling to learn BTC Team Member Sarah Cabral (@sarahzstylz)’s signature foil placement to add depth into blondes (PS: Keep scrolling to get her formulas!)

Check out the before and after below:

Sarah’s Lowlighting Cheat Sheet: Screenshot This For Later!

• Formulate lowlights one level lighter than the client’s natural level.
• NEVER formulate darker than the natural level.
• For blondes, don’t pull the lowlights all the way through the ends.
• Use a demi-permanent color to lowlight (unless it’s a color correction—then, try a permanent color.)
• “Depending on how much warmth (underlying pigment) they have in their hair, this will determine if I fill (add warmth) to the formula,” says Sarah. “It will also be determined by the color line that I am using. [For] example, if the line goes more toward warm neutrals, I usually don’t fill.”

Step 1: Use a chunky weave and apply Formula A throughout the head.

Pro Tip: Sarah likes to formulate a shade lighter than the client’s natural color for lowlights.

Step 2: Highlight throughout the head where brightness is needed with Formula B. This will bring balance through the interior underneath. 

Step 3: With Formula B, highlight using a fine weave near the hairline and place it on top of a chunky lowlight (Formula A) to create maximum depth. Rinse and wash.

Step 4: Apply Formula C to Zone 1 and Formula D to Zones 2 and 3. Blend the root melt into the mids. 

Click the beaker to get Sarah’s formulas!

• Formula A (lowlights):

  Jack Winn Pro Envelop 7N + 3-volume Zero Lift developer

• Formula B (highlights):

  Jack Winn Color Brilliant Lightener + developer 

• Formula C (root melt):

  Envelop 7N + 6B + 3-volume Zero Lift developer

• Formula D (all-over gloss):

  Envelop 10N + 8N + 3-volume Zero Lift developer

Photo Credit: Instagram via @sarahzstylz

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2. Don’t skip this step: Fill the hair with warmth.

San Diego-based blonding specialist Summer Labayen (@manely.summer) also took her client to the dark(er) sidewith a reverse balayage technique—get her formulas below!

Step 1. Use a 13-foil placement for a bold money piece and a few balayage slices. Summer mixes Jack Winn Pro Brilliant Lightener and Brilliant Diamond together (Formula A) for a clean lift without swelling.

Step 2. Add depth with 15 lowlights in a herringbone pattern throughout the head. Remember: “Less is more with lowlights,” Summer says.

• Formula A (highlights):

  Jack Winn Pro Brilliant Lightener + Jack Winn Pro Diamond Time-Released Toning Lightener + 20-volume developer

• Formula B (roots and mids gloss):

  Jack Winn Pro Restore 8N + 8.13 + 3-volume developer (1:1.5)

• Formula C (ends gloss):

  Restore 10N + 10.2 + a dash of 9.13 + 3-volume developer (1:1.5)

Photo Credit: Instagram via @manely.summer

3. Try this genius trick to ensure blend!

When creating lived-in looks, oftentimes you don’t want to paint all the way up to the scalp. For dimensional foils, Summer overdirects the back foils toward the face for extra blend insurance (creating a diagonal back.)

Pro Tip: Feather or tease your sections for the most-blended look.

Photo Credit: Instagram via @manely.summer

4. Here’s a quick way to add depth:

A root melt—especially when paired when lowlights—will add even more contrast to your look than lowlighting alone. Try them both for maximum internal depth.

Pro Tip: For clients that like a bright face frame, try applying toner in the last five minutes of processing.

Photo Credit: Instagram via @sarahzstylz

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Products Used

Hair Color

Brilliant Lightening Powder

Permanent Color

Envelop

Jack Winn Pro

Demi-Permanent Color

Restore

Jack Winn Pro

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